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29 March 2024

Sri Lanka’s secret batting power exposed…

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene plays a shot during a practice session at the Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapakse International Cricket Stadium in the southern district of Hambantota on September 17, 2012. Sri Lanka hosts the World Cup Twenty20 tournament and plays the opening fixture against Zimbabwe in the southern port town of Hambantota on September 18. (AFP)

Published
By Roopesh Raj

Cricket is a boffin’s delight.

Perhaps, the cliché statistics do not tell the whole story applies more here than anywhere else.

With hours to go before Sri Lanka kick off the ICC World Twenty20 tournament against Zimbabwe in Hambantota, the term ‘marginal favourite’ is being grudgingly handed to the hosts. Almost like a polite afterthought.

Cricket's shortest format, which has revolutionised the sport and divided opinion since its introduction in 2003, has seen India, Pakistan and even England dominate, but not the Lankans. And surprisingly never at a World Cup.

In fact while South Africa have been saddled with the chokers’ tag it is Lanka that has reached the tournament's two most recent finals, along with the 2009 World Twenty20 title match which they lost to Pakistan.

Why surprising? Because T20 is a batsman dominated game and a Sri Lankan batsman dominates the stats at World Cups.

In fact so dominant of the batting stats is this Lankan, that it defies logic that he has not led Lanka to a title.

Guess who? No, not Kumar Sangakarra. No, not Dilshan Tillekaratne.

He is the antithesis of the stereotypical T20 slayer (Gayle, Yuvraj, KP).

Meet Mahela Jayawardene the most dominant batsman at T20 World Cups.

These are records in his name for batsman at T20 World Cups:

Most runs: 615 (18 matches) (2007–2010).

Most 50+ scores: 5 (18 matches) (2007–2010).

Highest Partnership: With Kumar Sangakkara v West Indies 166 (100 balls) (second wicket) (2010)

Most fours: 62 (18 matches) (2007–2010)

From the coastal Hambantota, to the hill town Pallekele and the capital Colombo, Lankans trust their team captain, but do they see him as their match-winner?

T20 is as much about match-winners as team performance. Perhaps more than teams would like to let on.

Lasith Malinga’s credentials as a match winner have been brought in to question after India has worked out how to play him.

The stats suggest Mahela Jayawardene is the next best option.

Sri Lanka also boast the newly crowned cricketer of the year, wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara.

England, the West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are seeded to meet in group one of the Super Eights, with the top two teams making it to the semi-finals.

The fourth World Twenty20 champions will be crowned on October 7. Mahela needs to make the stats count.

Or else, they will continue to tell an incomplete story.